A typical mattress includes a body, generally rectangular in shape, sandwiched between a covering or casing having a top sleep panel and a bottom panel that rests against a box spring or other support. The top sleep panel and bottom panel are connected by a peripheral band that surrounds the side edges of the mattress body. The top sleep panel normally includes a padded material sandwiched between an inner fabric layer and an outer fabric layer. The padding is integrated with the inner fabric layer and outer fabric layer by lines of stitching placed across the entire area of the upper sleep panel, thereby creating a quilted panel. The bottom panel may also have a similar construction.
Conventional methods of quilting panels are dependable when using material, such as cloth, batting and foam, having a low density that allows the needles performing the stitching to freely pass through the plurality of layers at a relatively high rate of speed.
However, such conventional methods cannot be used on panels having layers with a high density foam, such as Talalay foam. When attempting to quilt high density foams using conventional methods, the layers will bind, bunch, break needles and in some cases break the quilting machine.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and system for creating a mattress casing having a quilted top sleep panel and/or quilted bottom panel having one or more layers of high density foam.